


Final End

by Zeopraxis



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Post-Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23932648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeopraxis/pseuds/Zeopraxis
Summary: After his release from godhood, the former Outsider and his companion Billie Lurk do what they can to live a quiet life. But when the Eyeless-with newfound strength and determination- threaten to destroy what they have built, the two of them must work with unlikely allies in order to bring the cult down once and for all.
Kudos: 13





	1. Disruption

**Author's Note:**

> My second upload on this site! Wow :)  
> I wrote this to answer the questions I had from reading 'The Veiled Terror'... because I had a lot. So after many long and frustrating months of writing, I have finally decided to share this with the world. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It had been a month. One full month. It had been a quiet month, something that they were both thankful for. 

They had very little. Billie was working herself to the bone daily on jobs that didn’t involve killing people. She had left that behind when she chose to spare the Outsider’s life that day in the Ritual Hold. She had used all of the money that she had left on the security deposit for their small apartment. Rent was low, but she knew it would still keep on her toes. 

The Outsider, on the other hand, spent his days inside. He was usually quiet and reserved, his mind often too full of so many incredible and terrible things to speak. The more days he lived, the less he seemed to know. As his humanity was returned to him, he was more anxious. He felt less safe around the world and around himself. He used to know so much. But when he stepped out of the Void the security of  _ knowing things _ stayed behind. Needless to say… he was a wreck. 

So, Billie thought it best to keep him inside. He didn’t really protest. He was fine keeping to himself. He had been alone for the better part of four thousand years, so to be home alone for a few hours didn’t feel like much. 

He would spend his time writing. He would write anything: letters that would never be sent, entries about what he ate that morning, ramblings about how afraid he felt inside his own body and mind. About how small he was. Anything, really. 

A month can do incredible things to a person. In a month, Billie had (nearly) abandoned her life of crime. She had become the caretaker to a former god. It was the longest she had gone away from the ocean. She had a real home, even if it wasn’t glamorous or ornate. She felt safe for the first time since she could remember. The changes finally hit her all at once with the jingle-jangle of her keys as she unlocked the door to her apartment. 

“Hello, Billie.” A familiar voice. A voice she had never imagined would be one to greet her as she came home. A year ago, she would have doubled over in laughter at the thought of this being her life. But time changes everything. 

“Hey,” she answered, shrugging her canvas grocery bags onto the small kitchen table. A table that was only big enough for the two of them. “How was your day?”

“It was okay.” was all he said. He sat by the window, his head turned to watch the sunset across the shoreline. He was mesmerized by the shimmer waves breaking across the levees. And although the ocean had forever instilled in him a feeling of existential dread, he was still able to find the beauty in it.

Billie sat in the chair across from him, crossing her legs as she lugged her jacket off. “Did we get any mail?”

He didn’t take his eyes off of the sea. “It’s on the table.”

She told herself that she would look at it later. 

The Outsider was quieter today than he usually was. He was reserved, yes, but he almost always had at least  _ something  _ to say. But from what Billie could see, there was nothing there. 

“Are you alright?” She asked after studying him a moment. He sighed and leaned back in his chair but he still kept his eyes fixed on the waves. 

“I’m just tired,” He said. But he stopped in a way that suggested that there was something else lingering on his tongue. 

“Liar,” Billie answered.

He finally looked at her. Billie couldn’t quite place the look in his jade eyes. “The Eyeless still exist, right?”

Billie hummed, folding her arms over her chest. “Yeah… Maybe…” She wanted to say more but there wasn’t much else to be said. There was no way she could be certain. 

“I don’t like that  _ ‘maybe’ _ .” The Outsider said. “That means they could still find us.”

“No. They couldn’t. If they wanted to find us they would have done it already.”

“But…” he trailed off, the words becoming too difficult to formulate.

“Hey,” Billie set her hand gently on his shoulder. “We’re safe.” He met her eyes, and in them, Billie could see a stormy sea of worry turn calm as she spoke. 

The Outsider nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”

A younger, more cynical Billie would have never cared if somebody trusted her. She knew she had done things, horrible things, to make it impossible for her to earn that luxury. But with him… it was different. To her, his trust was sacred. Everything they had built, although meager, depended on their mutual trust of one another. She knew she would do anything if it meant preserving the life they had made.

*

The evening continued on in its normal, untroubled way. Billie and The Outsider chatted like they usually did, ate dinner, and turned the lights out as they went to bed. It was routine. It was safe. Most importantly, it made them feel like they were normal. Like the world finally had a place for them.  _ Finally _ .

Their intruders, however, weren’t exactly quiet. 

The three men broke the window that faced toward the ocean, climbing up the wrought-iron fire escape ladder. They tumbled into the apartment, broken glass crunching under their boots. 

Billie was a light sleeper, but the sound woke even The Outsider, the deepest sleeper she had ever met. She was almost silent as she threw her bedsheets off. Across the room, The Outsider sat straight up in his bed. He threw her a  _ troubled _ glance that she could barely make out in the darkness. She put her finger to her lips, signaling him to  _ stay silent _ .

_ I know. _ His eyes read.  _ But what is going on? _

_ I’ll figure it out _ . She motioned with her hand for him to stay in his bed. 

Beneath her pillow, her sword always had a place. It wasn’t the Twin Bladed Knife, but an old, rusted relic from her past. The  _ other blade _ was stowed where she would never have to see it again.

With a firm grasp on her weapon, she took cover behind the doorway. The intruders whispered hurriedly, telling each other to keep quiet as they shuffled around in the kitchen.

“You’re sure we’re in the right place?” One of them whispered.

Another voice chimed in with a groan. “Yeah, how do you know that they’re here? That the knife is here?”

“Because I know! I’m the one that tracked them down!” Another snapped back with indignance.

Billie could hear The Outsider shuffle nervously behind her. She could tell that he knew that these weren’t the run of the mill thieves. They were here for something.

“But why would the blade be in their kitchen pantry?” One of them asked sincerely.

_ Are they serious? _ Billie thought. Finally, she stepped out from her cover.

“How stupid can you people be?” 

The three men jumped backward. Frightened, they hung onto each other for safety. But one stepped forward in a burst of feigned confidence, his hand hovering over his sheathed pistol. He bared his gold teeth at her. 

“Where is it?” He demanded. “Where is  _ He _ ?” 

In the moonlight, Billie could make out a small mark on the man’s cheek below his eye. It was the same mark she had tattooed on her body. The mark of the Eyeless.

She frowned, trying to play dumb. She tried to mask the feeling of dread that started to bite at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh,” He took another step forward. The other men stood rigid behind him, their confidence restored. “You know full well what I mean, bitch. Where is the knife? Where is the boy?”

The dull metal of Billie’s blade shone brightly as she stretched it out in front of her. “Get the  _ hell _ out of my home.” Resentment dripped from her words. But the man didn’t budge. Finally, he unsheathed his gun, pointing it at Billie’s skull in a deadly standoff.

He fired.

But Billie was quicker than he was. Before the bullet could hit her, she displaced her body behind him and the projectile hit the bedroom wall. 

The feeling of displacement always made her dizzy no matter how often she did it. When she stepped out of the Void that day, she vowed to leave all of that behind. She wouldn’t kill. She wouldn’t use her powers unless she truly needed to. And she’d done a good job of it, but tonight was the exception.

She put her knife to his throat. It was quick and in the blink of an eye, he was on the floor gasping as he choked on his blood. He sputtered a final, bloody breath and went limp. 

It never felt the same. Every time she took another life it felt different from the last. She figured that it was how she knew that she wasn’t completely heartless. But as she faced the bedroom, the Outsider’s eyes met her with fear. 

She had promised him that she would leave the killing behind. She promised him that she had changed. And yet here she was, made a liar.

She elbowed one of the other men behind her in the stomach. She turned to face him as he doubled over. The other man was already scrambling out of the window before she could get to him. He hurried down the ladder and into the night. But the other man… he was a different story.

Before he could stand up, Billie threw a punch to his jaw. He hit the wall with a thud, sliding down to sit in a half-conscious stupor.

“Billie!” The Outsider finally broke his silence. He put his hand on her shoulder. The feeling of his touch grounded her and she backed away from the intruder. “You said you-”

“I know!” She cut him off. “But I had to. I’m sorry.” 

He peered down at the dead body that laid in a heap behind them. The blood that still dripped from the man’s neck made his stomach churn. He looked away before he felt too ill.

“And I thought I told you to stay put!” Billie added. 

He furrowed his brows. “You were going to kill him.” 

Billie looked down at the floor. Maybe she really was going to kill him. The thought of either sparing him or ending him hadn’t crossed her mind. She simply acted. 

“We need to get rid of that body,” Billie said finally. She trained her eyes on the other man. “But we’re gonna get all we can out of him.”

*

“Who sent you here?” Billie barked. She planted her fist firmly in his guts. He coughed, slouching in pain as his fists clenched tight and tried to get out of their binds. 

But… he said nothing. No matter how much Billie pressed he never spoke a word. Even the Outsider tried to get him to say something, but the man didn’t budge. No matter how many punches were thrown, no matter how many threats were made, they were left with nothing. 

“Get the fuck out of here,” Billie said, cutting the ropes that bound his hands to the chair. “I ever see your face again… you’re dead.”

He stumbled out of the window. They watched him as he hurried down the ladder, missing the final rung and falling onto his back. He struggled to his feet, cast one last look back upward, then ran off toward the city. 

Billie and the Outsider backed away from the window. Billie sighed, rubbing her sore fist. 

“What now?” The Outsider asked. 


	2. Reintroduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After moving to a new district, the pair run into someone familiar.

Before they knew it, they were packing all of their belongings and moving. Across the ridge and into Clemente Landing. It took them a while to settle in, for them to feel like they were home again. They had just begun to feel normal in their old home after extraordinary lives and in just one night all of their progress was erased. 

But lucky for them, Clemente Landing was the last district on anybody’s mind. It was small, unassuming, old fashioned and hardly a passing glance was given to its happenings. Everyone had their eyes on Batista, Cyria Gardens, Aventa Quarter and Clemente Landing could slip under their noses. They hoped they could do the same. So, with a small ember of hope left, they restarted their fire to heat their hearth and within two weeks were glad to call their new apartment home. 

*

“We should go to the markets today,” Billie suggested over breakfast. She sipped her coffee, grimacing at the strength of it. 

“ _ You _ should go to the evening markets.” The Outsider replied, stabbing the scrambled quail eggs on his plate. He didn’t usually eat breakfast, but Billie forbade him from leaving the table until he ate at least something. She thought he was too thin. 

Billie groaned in jest. “Oh, come on. It’ll be good for you to get some fresh air.”

The Outsider groaned in return, resting his cheek on his hands. He peered out the window at the massive mountains that towered over the town. It was dark in the apartment. Only at very specific times of the day did the sun ever reach through into the kitchen. He wished he could find comfort in the sun.

It was too early in the morning to argue, he figured. “Fine. I’ll go.” He said finally, looking back towards Billie. She smiled. He couldn’t help but smile back. 

*

They left the apartment just as the vendors were beginning to set up. Their building was situated on one of the many towering slopes and down below they could see the main square. It was still a moment’s walk down the many stone staircases, but they could see the entire district from where they lived. In Clemente Landing, the air was cleaner. There was the occasional gust of silver dust from the neighboring district, but the modern industries had seemed to miss this place. Instead, it was fishermen and fig farmers that ran the show. And nobody really seemed to mind. 

“This place is nice but,” Billie started through huffs. They had almost made it to the markets, down nearly twenty flights of stone steps. “They couldn’t have leveled the land or something? These stairs are killing me.” 

“Billie, this city is a thousand years old.” The Outsider replied, stopping a moment to catch his breath. He leaned against one of the ornate metal side rails that lined the stairs. “The technology to level land hadn’t been invented yet.”

They restarted their descent. “They could have just built somewhere else,” Billie said as they finally stepped into the square. 

All around them were the voices of the vendors peddling their items. Prices, quality, authenticity all being advertised through careful words. It was a completely different world up above the city. There, it was quiet- the loudest thing during the day being the wind. But it was loud down in the streets. The voices of patrons and vendors echoed off of the tall, square buildings and reverberated throughout the square. A man could stand at the other end of the markets, whisper profanities, and you could hear him clear as day at the other end.

Billie began to peer at some of the goods, The Outsider following closely behind her. 

“We’re out of apples,” he suggested. “And eggs.” 

“And basically everything else,” Billie said, picking up a peach and examining it. 

Her Void-touched arm still flickered and undulated. Her powers were dim, and now very few people could actually see her arm, but she still knew it was there. It made her uneasy. As she poked around the produce she did everything in her power to keep that arm close to her side, for fear it may bruise and blacken the fruit. 

“Would you eat fish?” Billie asked the Outsider as they scoured the expansive selection of seafood. 

The Outsider frowned. “No. You know I don’t eat meat.” 

Billie cocked her head to one side. “Well sure, but some vegetarians will eat fish.”

“The life of a fish isn’t worth less than the life of any other animal.” 

“You eat eggs.” She retorted. 

The Outsider sighed with annoyance, crossing his arms. “I’ve explained this to you already. Unfertilized eggs are not-”

“They’re not alive. Yes I know, I know.” Billie began to move away from the fish market. “Let’s go.” 

They continued to browse the stands. The sun was still low in the sky, silhouetting the tall, beige buildings. Streaks of pinks and oranges expanded across the horizon as the sun’s growing light reflected the faint silver dust in the air. The market was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as Billie had seen it be from her window. She was thankful for that. Her friend didn’t do so well in crowds and clung to her side like a scared child.

Billie hadn’t really been opposed to his clingy-ness. She understood it, could empathize with where the feeling came from. He had been alone for so long, outliving everybody he knew. He was a new man now, but the fear of being abandoned was still ripe in him. It quieted him, made him introverted. Billie did everything that she could to make him feel comfortable, but there were times where she had to push him out of his comfort zone. So, in an attempt to improve his communication skills, she tried to teach the Outsider the art of haggling prices. His fear of communication was something that held him back for whenever he tried to speak to somebody who wasn’t Billie, the only phrases coming from his mouth were cryptic and vague; residue from the vast knowledge that had been in his head for four-thousand years. 

He found haggling simple in theory but in practice he failed miserably, eventually getting cursed at by a vendor who found his low offer incredibly insulting. 

“This is why I don’t like to talk to people.” He remarked after they had cleared from the angry seller. 

Billie offered him a gentle, reassuring pat on his boney shoulder. “It was a good start. And you’re gonna have to learn to communicate in a coherent way. It’s a life skill.”

“I have enough life skills to get by, I think.” He said. 

Billie couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t. Trust me, you don’t.” The Outsider frowned. Billie continued, trying to save herself. “ _ But _ , you’re getting there. You’re not a lost cause just yet.” 

The Outsider gave her a slight smile 

Billie opened her mouth to speak, but the words stopped dead in their tracks. As she looked out into the market square, the shadows from the city imposing themselves long and dark over it, a familiar face caught her eye. Her heart seemed to stop, her blood beginning to boil with rage. 

The Outsider noticed her unease. “Billie, what is it?” 

She swallowed hard. “That guy. Who broke into our old apartment. The one we beat the shit out of… He’s right there. And I told him that if I ever saw his face again I’d kill him.”

“Billie, don’t. We can’t get in trouble here. We don’t have anywhere else to go.” The Outsider stood in front of her, trying to block her view of the man. 

But she pushed past him. “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.” He grabbed onto the sleeve of her coat, pulling her back under the canopy of the market. She took one look at him, tugged her arm away, and left.

She rushed through the crowd with ease, her mind set on one target. She could hear the sound of her boots clicking on the red brick ground as she walked. The man looked to be hauling sacks of grains to a vendor’s stands. He was shirtless, a gleam of sweat on his muscles. Billie could make out bruises on his body, likely from their last meeting. There were also dark, geometric tattoos that snaked their way up his arms. What could he be doing here? Could he be undercover? Posing as a laborer in order to get information on Billie and the Outsider and send it to the Eyeless? He looked unarmed and vulnerable.  _ Perfect, _ she thought. 

“You.” She said, her voice almost a growl. The man looked up to her. It took him a moment to recognize who she was. But as soon as he remembered, he panicked. 

“Oh shit,” He uttered before he bolted through the market. Billie gave chase, pushing past patrons and jumping over produce stands. She was always amazed at her agility, despite her ever-growing age. 

She followed him as close as she could. But he was just as agile as she was, easily swerving behind buildings, vaulting over gates and fences onto balconies and into courtyards. 

He ran until he had trapped himself. In an alleyway between two beige buildings, Billie and the man met face to face. He backed himself up away from her as much as he could, slamming against a rusty gate that opened out onto a steep ledge. The metal groaned as he pushed against it, but Billie stepped ever closer, her fists balled and ready to brawl. 

“I told you that if I ever saw your face again you were dead.” She said baring her teeth. “What part about that didn’t you understand?”

The purple and yellows around his eye nearly masked the black tattoo on his cheek. 

He spoke, breathless and terrified. “Please don’t hurt me I-I’m not Eyeless anymore I swear. I left them I promise.”

“Bullshit.” Billie spat. She inched closer.

“N-no I mean it. Really, I mean it. And you guys- you guys were the reason I left. Please don’t hurt me!”

Billie reared her fist up and the man whimpered in fear. He screwed his eyes shut, dreading what was to come.

“Billie!” A voice came from the other end of the alleyway. 

“Dammit!” Billie yelled, turning around to see a panting Outsider approaching her. “Do you ever listen?! Seriously?!”

“Sometimes,” He said as he attempted to pull her away from the scene. 

“No, I’m not leaving until this fucker gets what he deserves. He can tell me he’s not Eyeless all he wants but I don’t believe it. Once you’re in a cult, you’re always in a cult.” 

The Outsider swiveled around and met the man’s eyes. He had his arms wrapped around himself, his dark, curly hair slicked to his forehead with sweat. 

“What do you mean you’re not Eyeless anymore?” The Outsider asked him, approaching him as he spoke. 

The man coughed, trying to catch his breath. He composed himself then spoke.“I escaped. I’m not part of that shit anymore. It wasn’t worth all the trouble it got me into.”

The Outsider touched his shoulder, examining his bruised face. “How can we trust you?”

“You just have to. I’m trying to have a normal life after all of that. That’s why I’m here. They wouldn’t try to come after me here. Look, the sky hasn’t opened up and the Void isn’t spilling out into this world. We don’t need you to be back in there. They didn’t seem to get that. I tried to tell them and they wouldn’t listen a-and look at what happened to me.” He gestured to his fading black eye and barely healing split lip. “I left that night. When we broke into your apartment. When you guys let me go I didn’t report back.”

The idea that a stranger would abandon his life and risk his well being in defense of a person he had only heard stories about made the Outsider’s heart grow. Billie had changed her life’s trajectory for the Outsider. She abandoned her habits of theft and murder (almost) so she could give him a better chance. That alone was enough to make his head spin, but here in front of him was another person, a person he had only met through violent confrontation, willing to do the exact same. 

The Outsider looked at him. He felt himself at ease as he spoke. “What’s your name?” 

“Waits.” He sighed. “Alfred Waits.” 

There was something in the way that he spoke that made The Outsider believe him. He felt compelled, obligated to. The fervor in his voice suggested that he spoke the truth. The Outsider turned to Billie, his eyes pleading. But, stern, she shook her head. 

“I don’t believe him.” She said. “He’s just trying to save his own skin.” 

Alfred Waits let out a scoff of frustration. “I’ve got no reason to lie to you! Look, I’m sorry. I really, truly am sorry for what I did.” He looked at the Outsider, and the Outsider looked at him. “You deserve to live a normal life. Away from all of that weird cult shit. I’m sorry that I thought I wanted to take that from you.” 

The Outsider’s heart felt heavy. He couldn’t begin to comprehend his kindness. He looked at Billie again. This time he saw her shift. She unclenched her fists and cast her eyes to the pavement. She sighed, heavy and irritated. 

“Fine. I’ll let you live. But if you fuck up even  _ once _ , you’re dead.”

Waits fell to his knees, his hands folded over his head and the fear of death fleeing from him. “Thank you. Thank you so much. How can I repay you? I’ll do anything.” 

“Stand up, for a start.” Billie walked up to him. She grabbed him by the bicep, lifting him back to his feet. “Then, I need you to tell us everything you know about the Eyeless. Where their leader is, and how I can get rid of them for good.”

“I thought you said we were done trying to get rid of them.” The Outsider said, his voice wavering. The last thing he wanted was to confront that cult face to face. He did it four-thousand years ago and he sure as hell didn’t want to do it again. When he and Billie had moved to Clemente Landing, she had sworn to him that they were done,  _ she  _ was done with hunting the Eyeless. They were safe there and trying to go after them after that night in Batista would only bring them trouble. She told him that the only way that she would fight them is if they came to her door and shot first. 

Billie crossed her arms. “They’re a threat to you.” She moved in closer to him. “I cannot let them get to you. You know I can’t.”

The Outsider didn’t respond, just looked down at his shoes. He was thankful for Billie’s protectiveness over him, but he knew it would come with a cost. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be either of their lives. 

*

“How old are you, Waits?” Billie asked. Waits sat across from her at their kitchen table. He was huddled in on himself, his hands folded in his lap. The Outsider came to bring him a much-needed glass of water. He sat next to Billie. 

“Nineteen,” He said, taking a sip. “I’ll be twenty next month.”

Billie nodded, leaning back in her chair. “Any family? Anybody that would come looking for you?”

He coughed. “I have a brother. But I haven’t seen him in years. I left him behind when I joined that stupid cult.”

“How long were you with them?” The Outsider asked him. 

Waits scratched the back of his head and looked up toward the ceiling in thought. “Six years. Maybe five and a half. But some of the people I had met were born into it. Spent their whole lives in and out of the Void.

“Did  _ you _ ever go in?” The Outsider asked. He could feel Waits’ discomfort as he mentioned it. 

He waited a moment before speaking. “Yeah. A few times.” He paused, trying to keep himself composed as images and memories flickered behind his eyes. “I hate that place. I’ve seen what it does to people. How it changes the way they look. It’s terrible.”

“It  _ is _ terrible.” The Outsider offered. His voice was as soft as a feather. Waits met his eyes. “I’m sorry that you had to experience it.” 

Waits sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry that you did too.” 

The Outsider gave a slight smile, and a bit of the tension eased. The Void wasn’t a place where one could find solace. The Void wasn’t a place where a person could feel at peace. The Void sapped every sense of security out of you. It stole any feelings of solitude or significance. Not by choice, not with intention, but simply because it knew it was bigger than you. And it did not care. Everything inside of the void shifted and writhed and lived knowing that it was simply larger and more powerful than could make sense. And so it lulled itself, made itself docile and unthreatening with solemn understanding. The Outsider was the most unfortunate victim of that sickening, complex, paradoxical insecurity. He was forced into it and had to endure the anxiety, the terror, for as long as he was trapped there. It never got any easier. 

Those who were human, those not brought into the Void by brutality and ritual, hardened. Literally. The concentrated fear seeped into their bodies and solidified in their bones and blood. It made their eyes turn to slate like the Eye of the Dead God. It made them sick. They would vomit, seize, bleed from their mouths and eyes and ears when the Void left their bodies, or when they had gone too long without it. Sometimes even coming into contact with an area where the veil is thin, where the mist of the Void seeps through into the physical world. Even a gentle caress of that fog could incapacitate a person. 

When the Outsider had left the Void once and for all, the sickness caught up to him. He had hoped he would be immune to it by some sort of grace. But he couldn’t escape it. He remembered the early days away from the Void, when his body shook and cold sweat poured down his forehead, each and every muscle easing and contracting of their own accord. He lived in constant fear that it would happen again and he figured he was too frail to survive it a second time.

He shuddered at the memories. Waits gave him a look of understanding. 

Billie spoke. “Who is their leader?”

Waits raised his eyebrows and Billie could tell by the look in his eyes that it wasn’t as simple as she thought.

“Well,” he started, taking another sip of water. “I don’t really know. Nobody has ever really seen him. We sort of just revered the  _ idea  _ of him. There are rumors about who he is and where he is but… none of the higher-ups ever clarified any of it. I don’t think they ever even met him, either.”

“So,” Billie cocked a brow. “He’s a mystery?”

“Yeah. Basically.”

Billie groaned. She was right. It wasn’t as simple as she thought. But Waits’ eyes lit up as he began to recall something. 

“I knew somebody who said that she had met the leader. She was a friend of mine and a devout follower. If I can contact her in some way then I can probably pry the information out of her.” 

“And where does this person live?” Billie asked. 

“Upper Cyria Gardens.”

Billie, again, groaned. “That’s miles away!” 

Waits frowned. “Do you want to take this guy down or what?”

Billie considered a moment before speaking, rubbing her face in her hands. The only way to end the Eyeless once and for all was to take out their true leader. And she was more than willing to put in the work to make sure that came to fruition, but how she longed for the days of simple answers. It was a simple problem but, like everything, the solution was turning out to be anything but. 

Finally, she answered. “Yes, I do. And we can get there by railcar if we’re quiet about it. I don’t want your friends to know that we’re out there.”

“Good call. Ever since you stormed Shindaery they’ve been tracking you. Or at least trying to.” Waits said. 

The Outsider chimed in. “Do they know we’re here in Clemente Landing?”

Waits hummed in thought. “I don’t think so. They just know that you might not be in Batista anymore. But after that night I haven’t been in contact with them. For all they know I could be dead.” 

“What will happen if they found out that you’re a deserter?” The Outsider asked him. 

“I don’t know. Not something very nice, I suspect.” Waits answered, shaking his head. 

Waits had run with the Eyeless since his early teens and in those years he had seen a lot of things. He had been involved in  _ a lot of things _ , many of which he was far from proud of. But in all his years he had never seen anybody leave. Once you were in, the only way out was death. And even then, your soul, or what was left of it, was forever tied to them. 

He had doubts around his first year in. But he kept them inside him and did what he was told. Went where he was told to go. Prayed how he was told to pray. Killed who he was told to kill. And he was relatively content, the guilt of leaving people behind in his old life only bothering him sometimes at night when the nightmares were too bad to sleep. He shoved everything that would hold him back to the recesses of his mind. He forced himself to believe that with the Eyeless was where he was supposed to be. Until the doubts got too strong to ignore and every day he thought of ways to leave. It was always one more job, one more mission, then he’d be done. Then he would turn around and never look back. 

But Billie was still skeptical. “If you wanted to leave so bad like you said, then why didn’t you give in when we tried to get information from you?”

“Because-” Waits paused, trying to gather his thoughts in a way that wouldn’t make Billie doubt him even more. “Some of the people in the Eyeless are good. They were dragged in by some sort of circumstance and now they can’t get out. I wouldn’t want them to get hurt because of me.”

Billie shook her head, still unconvinced. But the Outsider, as hesitant to trust as he usually was, had faith in Waits. In his eyes, the Outsider could see guilt, remorse, but also hope. Hope for a new life. The same kind of hope that the Outsider harbored in him when he first stepped out of the Void to greet the sun. It would go against his heart to believe that Waits was lying. The Outsider had always been a victim of misinterpretation. He didn’t want Waits to endure the same fate. 

“I’m being truthful. I wouldn’t be telling you guys all of this if it wasn’t true. I can’t make it up.” Waits pleaded.

“I trust you,” The Outsider said, laying a reassuring hand upon Waits’s.

Billie wasn’t impressed. “We go tomorrow. Meet us at the railcar station by noon. If we can catch one early we’ll get to Cyria Gardens in a few hours.”

Waits nodded his head in agreement. 

She slouched back down in her chair. “Now go home. Get some rest.” 

Waits stood, slinging his jacket on as he did. “Thank you for not killing me today, Billie. I am indebted to you.” 

“Don’t mention it, kid.” 


	3. Expedition I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billie makes a few acquaintances.

The railcar rumbled down the tracks. It was a hot, humid day in Clemente Landing, and likely to be worse in Cyria Gardens. 

“This friend of yours,” Billie started, projecting her voice over the sound of the whipping wind. “Is she reasonable? Or are we going to have some trouble?”

Waits tilted his hand in a so-so movement. “She’s kind of a fanatic. Or at least she used to be, I haven’t talked to her in a while. But she was a… _ quiet _ fanatic. She usually kept to herself.” 

Billie crossed her arms over her chest. She looked out toward the sea, the last look at it before the tracks burrowed through the ridge that separated Clemente Landing from Batista. The tunnel was dark, barely lit by the rusty light of whale oil lamps. 

“But I have an idea.” Waits offered. He waited a moment before he spoke, trying to gauge Billie’s reaction. But she just looked at him stoically. “The Eyeless have meetings in Cyria Gardens on the third of each month. It’s the third of the month and the meeting location isn’t far from my friend’s apartment. They meet up in the basement of a hat shop called ‘Adriano’s Oddities’.” 

“And?” Billie continued. 

“And… Maybe we could split up. Somebody could go to the apartment and the others could infiltrate the meeting?”

“No.” Billie’s tone didn’t leave much to interpretation. 

But the Outsider interjected from his place next to Billie. “Maybe splitting up would be a good idea. We could get more information that way.”

Billie looked at him in the way that she would if she couldn’t tell if a person was being serious or not. “ _ You’re _ suggesting that we split up? I never thought that I would hear something like that come from you.”

The Outsider shrugged. “I’m willing to get over my fears for this. Seeing the Eyeless brought down is important to me.”

Billie shook her head but considered the offer. “Let me think about it.”

*

The remainder of the ride was relatively quiet. Everybody was content with watching the scenery whip by, the wind through the massive Karnacan trees and the waves against the docks. Off in the distance, a whale broke through the surface of the ocean, slamming back against with it a massive spray of water. The Outsider watched it as its tail dipped back under the surface, as though it was waving goodbye to him. Perhaps it was. 

Whales had always been significant to him. They were ever-present in his life, in every stage of it. When he was a child he would wonder at them, in awe of their size and power. They were far more plentiful back then- before they’d been hunted to near extinction. Their songs would echo through the night, soft and welcomed as a sign of good tidings and fair winds. They were simple to him, but it wasn’t until he was swimming amongst them did he see their true majesty.

Through the eyes of a whale is a window to the Void itself. They opened themselves to an unobstructed view of what was beyond the waking world. A whale was the physical embodiment of the grey of the Void, shifting in and out of dimensions as they dive deeper and deeper into the ocean. As they died, their magic was stolen away. 

He could feel the sting of the harpoons. Echoes of pain as the whales writhed in agony, their blood painting the water red. It was by far the most terrible by-product of his godhood. To feel a life that is not yours drain from an innocent heart. But as the beasts would die, their souls would phase into the Void for good, left to swim in the air for the rest of eternity. They sang lullabies for a man who could not sleep. 

The would no doubt remember him. 

He waved back. A smile breaking across his lips. 

*

The railcar screeched to a stop at the Cyria Gardens station. The three of them shuffled out, attempting to remain as inconspicuous as they could. Billie had been away from the eyes of the law for a while but there still hung the odd wanted poster. Although most were tattered and windblown, they still had her face on it. And there were guards all over. As well as the occasional overseer who would most likely have an image of what the Outsider looks like in his head. He clutched onto Billie’s arm. The Abbey of The Everyman had been a constant fear of his for a while now. They couldn’t touch him in the Void, but he could no longer hide behind it. Many years ago he had thought it would be interesting to show himself to a struggling Overseer. He remembered the man falling to his knees in awe and terror in the soft purple light of the lanterns surrounding the shrine. the Outsider spoke sweet nothings to him, held him as he cried and told the Outsider of his doubts in the Abbey. But the Overseer went to his Brothers the next morning and spoke to them of what he saw, repenting for allowing the  _ enemy _ to infect his dreams. There were paintings of the Outsider’s face all across Dunwall a week later. The Overseer had remembered the diety’s face so perfectly that even the Outsider himself was in awe of the detail. He had never imagined that he would ever truly have to worry about being apprehended but now that he was human, he had a hard time getting the Abbey off his back. He had been stopped and harassed by Overseers in Batista a handful of times, but Billie was usually there to get them off of his back. 

Billie gripped his shaking hand. “We’ll be fine,” She said in a whisper. “I’m in hot water here too. Just keep your head down and we’ll be okay.”

The Outsider nodded to himself, looking over at Waits who was watching the station’s crowds with laser focus. He peered at the exits and entrances to find the nearest one. Silently he motioned for Billie and the Outsider to follow him. They all maneuvered skillfully through the station and slipped out of the doors with ease, undetected. 

Billie had always wondered what Emily thought after she retook the throne. There was no doubt many things that needed to be dealt with after the coup, but Billie often thought about where she was on that list. Would Emily end up exonerating her? Would she clear her of her crimes and put in a good word for her with the Grand Guard. It had been a little over two months, after all, since Emily arrived back in Dunwall. Were there two months worth of repairs to be made? Billie was still waiting for a letter from her. She began to doubt that it would come at this point. 

It was cloudy in Cyria Gardens. But a gale blew in from the ocean, drying some of the sweaty air. The humidity was thick, making it hard to take in a deep breath of relief when they made it to the main street. The three moved into the cover of a short alley, away from the prying eyes of the public. 

Waits began, the focus in his eyes still sharp. “Alright, are we splitting up?”

Billie sighed. “Yes. I’ll allow it if we can get more information from it.” She was apprehensive in her answer but she knew that splitting up was their best bet for getting as much intel as possible. Billie would have to crash the meeting, as she had the Eyeless tattoo inked on her body. Waits wasn’t an option, as they were likely looking for him and ready to prosecute him as they saw fit.

So they separated. Billie headed down one end of the main street and Waits and the Outsider departed down the other. 

*

Billie moved with ease in the darkened corners of the street. Staying out of the light. Staying away from the prying eye. She examined each sign on each shop, looking intently for ‘Adriano’s Oddities’. But no luck. 

She looked up the street and back down. Toward the railcar station were guards clad in their blue uniforms and their heavy pistols at their side. But down the other way, there was nobody save for a few grubby civilians. She figured it was her best bet at gaining information. So Billie continued to move in the dark until she was certain that the road curved enough to be out of sight of the guards. She stepped out into the street, the buildings shading her just enough. On the sidewalk sat a woman. Her hands were clasped in front of her between her legs as she slouched on the pavement, a sliver of sunlight illuminating her. Billie cautiously approached her, trying to act natural. She stuffed her Void-touched hand in her pocket, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. 

“Excuse me,” Billie started, casual and unassuming. “Do you know where I can find ‘Adriano’s Oddities’?”

The woman looked up at her, the sun falling into her brown eyes. She narrowed her gaze, examining Billie with silence. 

“Why do you need to go there?” The woman responded. Her voice was gravelly, abrasive against Billie’s ears. 

Billie frowned.  _ Why does it matter? _ “I’m looking for a new hat for my collection,” was all she could come up with. 

The woman cocked her head to the side but still kept her eyes fixed on Billie. As she moved, her blonde hair shifted and revealed a small black tattoo on her neck. She smirked. “You don’t look like the type to have a hat collection.” 

Billie tried to keep her eyes off of the tattoo.  _ Of course, she’s Eyeless _ . “Well… looks can be deceiving.” 

“I’m sure they can be,” the woman said. She stood up with swift ease, taking a confrontational step toward Billie. But when she didn’t budge, the woman eased. She looked her up and down once and then crossed her arms. 

“I can take you to Adriano’s. I’m headed there too.” She paused, looking Billie dead in the eyes. “We don’t want to be late.” 

Billie nodded in response, cautious but confident. “I’m Meagan,” Billie said, using her old alias to be safe. 

“I’m Alice,” She began to walk down the sidewalk. Billie followed her. “I haven’t seen you around here, Meagan. In fact-” She stopped, turning back to face Billie. “I haven’t even heard your name before. But I see your tattoo…”

Billie tensed, instinctively touching her neck where the marking rested on her dark skin. She needed to come up with a convenient lie to cover herself. 

“I just moved here,” Billie replied. She had always been a good liar, successfully avoiding countless scrapes and run-ins through her deception. 

Alice crossed her arms over her chest. Her suspicion eased somewhat into genuine curiosity. It seemed as though Billie’s lie was working. “Really? From where?”

“Dunwall,” was the first thing that Billie thought of. Alice gave a hefty “ _ huh _ ” and turned to continue down the road. 

They walked for a few paces before Alice spoke again. “Are you coming here alone?”

Billie cleared her throat. “Yeah. I wanted to check out the scene. A friend in Dunwall told me that the community here was tight-knit.” 

“Oh yeah. We’re tight-knit alright.” She turned her head to look at Billie from her peripheral, a wicked glint in her eyes. “But we’ve been having an issue with deserters, lately.  _ Big  _ issue.” 

The heart in Billie’s chest began to beat hard. But she stayed calm and continued to follow Alice. “Really?” 

“Yeah. But we’re dealing with it.” 

They continued in silence. Either Alice already trusted Billie, or she was planning something. Billie prayed that it was the former. Alice had a swagger about her and a heavy presence despite her thin frame. She couldn’t have been older than forty but she had a young aire; confident. 

Alice came to a stop in front of a small shop. Wedged tightly between two other buildings, the shop’s twisted bronze sign read ‘ _ Adriano’s Oddities’. _ In front of the shop stood a few other people. One leaned against the doorway, cigarette hanging from his mouth. Two other men were speaking in hushed voices to each other as Alice approached them. She whispered something to them and they turned to face Billie. To her surprise, one of the men smiled. He sauntered toward her and clapped her on the shoulder with substantial force. 

“Welcome, friend.” He said, his voice cheerful. “We should get inside.”

All of them made their way into the shop. Vibrant feathered and sequined hats hung from wire racks and poles. They took up most of the space inside, even covering the windows and the desk of the shop’s owner, Adriano. 

“‘Morning, Adriano.” The cheerful man said. Adriano, old and slouched in his chair, his face whiskered with white hairs, waved quietly at him. Billie could see the small black tattoo on his wrist.

The group made their way to a thin, rather obvious dark wood door blocked by a hat stand. Alice moved the rack out of the way and unlocked the door with a bright gold key she had pulled from her pocket. 

The stairway was steep as they made their descent. 

“This doesn’t seem very hidden.” Billie remarked under her breath. 

“We don’t really worry about staying hidden.” One of them remarked. “Almost everybody in Cyria Gardens is involved with the Eyeless in one way or another.”

“What about the Overseers?”

“Them too...”

_ Horrifying _ , Billie thought as they got to the end of the stairs. Before them opened a long, dimly lit room with pews on either side and a black stone altar in the center with a single lit candle atop it. 

There was nobody else in the room other than the group Billie came down with. 

Alice cleared her throat, sitting in a pew in the front row next to the altar. “Take a seat, Meagan.”


	4. Expedition II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waits makes good on his word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping everyone is enjoying this so far.   
> Thanks for reading :)

Waits and The Outsider walked side by side. They didn’t speak much, but neither felt the need to. It was a comfortable silence. Waits studied the buildings as they passed them, looking for the architecture of his old friend’s apartment. 

The Outsider felt like he was in a different world. He had never been to Cyria Gardens, only seen it from high up above, or through a black, smokey membrane. He had seen it before it was even created. But never had he seen it with his own eyes. He was overcome with the strangeness of it all as he gazed up at the tall, flowered buildings. He hadn’t even noticed when Waits stopped.

“Here it is,” Waits said. He had recognized the address, but not the building. A massive white sheet hung heavy over the front- red letters screaming ‘ _ condemned _ ’. “I didn’t know it was condemned….  _ Shit _ .”

“What are we going to do?” The Outsider asked, watching Waits as he considered the rundown apartment. 

Waits looked up toward the sky, the pieces of his plan rearranging themselves. He rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Break in, I guess.”

“Really?”

“That’s our only option.” Waits responded with a sigh.

A swift look up and down the road ensured that their coast was clear and they approached the front entrance. The old wooden doors were barred shut by an industrial barricade and a small note hung over the gold doorknob. Waits read it aloud:

“This building has been condemned by the Abbey and is being investigated for housing of heretical artifacts and writings. Trespassing is penalized by…” he paused before continuing, swallowing hard. “Death.”

The Outsider frowned. “That seems extreme.”

“Well, they can’t kill us if they don’t catch us.” Waits said as he spied a window in the gap between the building and the sheet that covered it. It was slightly open and the panes were smashed in. It stood only around 15 feet above them and a broken fire escape ladder hung just above their heads. 

Waits jumped up to grab the ladder. The metal groaned, bending as he pulled himself up to the rusted platform. He lifted himself with ease and the sudden realization of Waits’ strength made the Outsider hesitate before he grabbed the other man’s hand. Waits pulled the Outsider up and once he was standing on the platform he quickly moved away from the former cultist’s reach. 

Tucked into the Outsider’s coat was a small dagger, a gift from Billie should he ever find himself in trouble. His hand hovered over it as he examined Waits with uncertainty. 

“You’re strong…” He said, taking another short step back. “Stronger than I thought.”

Waits frowned, his confusion palpable. “I guess. Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you wanted to split up so you could get me alone and catch me off guard. You could kill me, or kidnap me or-”

“Hey,” Waits interrupted. “I’m not going to do any of that. That wasn’t why I brought you here.”

The Outsider’s hands moved slightly away from the dagger, but he still stood alert. “Then why did you bring me here? I know it would be dangerous for the two of us to go to that meeting, but why else?”

“You’ll see. We have to get inside first.” 

Waits turned his back, focusing on the window. Sharp shards of broken glass still clung to the bent and cracked frame. Waits figured that the best option would be to kick the entire thing in. So, with a deep breath, he turned his head away and smashed the window. With one kick, the rotted wood went flying into the dark apartment and what was left of the glass fell to the ground. Waits crawled through into the building, careful of the broken glass. He held his hand out once again for the Outsider to take. But he didn’t move. 

“You need to trust me, okay?” Waits said. There was something in his tone that reassured the Outsider, but his doubts still lingered. 

Even so, he accepted Waits’ hand and shakily entered. 

Immediately the smell of mold and rot hit them both. It was almost pitch black, the only light coming from small gaps in the white sheet outside. The humidity tripled and every breath was a trial for both of them. 

The room they entered must have been somebody’s apartment, as books and clothes laid strewn across the dusty floor- rat eaten and dotted with grey mildew. They were on the right floor, but according to Waits, it wasn’t the right room. 

“How can you be certain?” the Outsider questioned, covering his mouth with his collar so as not to breathe in the pestilent air.

“You’ll know it when we get there.”

The two of them made their way into the hall. The mess was even worse. Furniture and boxes stood piled against doors and other hallways, everything saturated with thick layers of cobwebs and dust. It seemed as though the place had been completely torn apart.

But Waits knew what he was looking for. Apartment 203. They had just exited 201, so his target could be far. He scanned the numbers on the walls, or what was left of them. 200. 202. And finally, 203. 

The door was barricaded by a rusted metal bed frame but it wasn’t difficult for Waits to just grab it and shove it away. And when he tried the doorknob, to his amazement, it was unlocked. 

Nothing could have prepared the Outsider for what he laid eyes on. 

Snaking up the walls, in dark black ink, were thousands and thousands of strange letters. They arched up and over the boarded windows, across the chipped wood of bookcases. And littered across the floor were countless pages torn from books and ripped from folders. Each piece of paper was flooded with even more of the writing. For somebody who wasn’t trained, somebody who wasn’t the Outsider, the writings would seem like chicken scratch. But he recognized it. 

It was the language of the dead. A script lost to time. Lost to the void. And as the Outsider stood in the doorway, he could understand everything. 

“By the void…” He uttered in amazement, the words escaping him before he could stop them. 

Waits stood next to him. He seemed just as in awe as the Outsider did. “I told you. Isn’t it incredible?”

“It’s… How did she know all of this?” The Outsider took his first step into the room. He was extremely careful not to disturb the pages on the floor. 

“She kept it very secret. I was the only other person who knew about this place. I heard about one man who tried to learn it, and the Eyeless killed him in cold blood.” 

“Malchiodi.” The Outsider responded. “I remember him.” 

Waits couldn’t help but find the Outsider’s amazement endearing. He could feel himself smile as he watched the other man read the writings, his head tilting and twisting as he followed it up the walls. Watching him almost made him forget what they were here for. 

“We need to find her diary.” Waits said after a moment. “She wrote everything in there and if we can locate it then hopefully we can get the information that we need.”

They began to look everywhere they could- under a rotted mattress, behind shelves, tucked in between bookcases. There was no sight of the journal Waits mentioned. Even after examining every torn up book on the floor, they came up empty-handed. It wasn’t until the Outsider looked closely at the drawers of an old writing desk.

Tucked into the back of the drawer was a small hook. Had the drawers been completely empty, he would have noticed it sooner. But various trinkets and pieces of paper were stuffed inside making the hook harder to see. 

“I think this drawer has a false bottom.” The Outsider remarked as he examined it even closer. Waits moved up next to him, peering into the drawer to see for himself, their cheeks nearly touching. 

Waits nodded. “I think you’re right. Let me see.” Grabbing a pen from the table, Waits tried to position the point of the utensil inside of the hook. After a few tries, he finally secured it and pulled up, opening the false bottom. In the cubby sat a worn, beaten up journal. 

“That has to be it.” The Outsider remarked as he gently lifted the book from its hiding spot. 

Waits couldn’t hold back his excitement, setting a proud hand on his companion’s shoulder. Gingerly, the Outsider opened the journal. 

But below them, they could hear the front door of the building open. 


	5. Congregation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billie attends chapel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter. But the story has only just begun.

“It has not been a quiet few months…” The aging Parson started, gentle and dignified, as he stood behind the black stone altar. “One would assume that we would recognize this time as a time of mourning and solemnity. However…” his voice darkened and his eyes narrowed as he addressed the small assemblage. “ we have been vigilant.” 

In an effort to remain inconspicuous, Billie nodded her head with the rest of the congregation. Each patron was watching the speaker with intense focus, taking in every word he said to them. 

“I hope all of you devout folks have had your eyes open. I know all of you have recognized the dissolve, the dissolution, of our factions. People are losing faith and replacing it with fear. With doubt. With anger and frustration. And I pray that you have dealt with these deserters as they should be dealt with. I pray you have granted them your utmost kindness.”

In unison, as if directed by an unseen force, the group uttered “death” in response. The Parson nodded, a deceivingly amiable smile crawling across his lips. He cleared his throat, looking at the ground a moment while he gathered his thoughts. There was a significant silence before he let out a deep sigh and finally continued. 

“I received a message from the stars last night. Perhaps not only a message, but an answer to a question I have had far before these  _ events _ transpired. 

“I watched the constellations. And I watched the deep blackness of the voids between them. I truly studied them. And I realized that these voids, their patterns, their energies… they’re the same. All of the old star charts, the maps and measurements of the skies, there is no difference between what our old scholars saw thousands of years ago and what I see now. They still sing the same songs, want the same things. They want for the same thing they wanted for at the very beginning. They ask for nothing new,  _ nobody  _ new. They ask for the same host. And who are we, as children of the Void, to deny them?”

There was another long period of silence. Billie tried to fake her engagement, but she couldn’t help the nervousness that was growing in the pit of her stomach. She braced for the rest of the Parson’s speech. 

“We must gather as much information as we can.” He began, the flame of the candles shifting and flickering as he paced by them. “It is our duty to bring our Boy, our Child, our Son, back into the grasp of the Void. We must restore balance, recalibrate the tides. I can feel the Veil becoming thin, the now uncontained power of the Void dripping out. We must find him.”


End file.
